During manufacturing and assembly work, component parts are commonly machined, ground, cast or otherwise manufactured with contours or shapes that match each other and are assembled together. For example, where parts are assembled using adhesives, matching contours between component parts may be important for obtaining good adhesion. Component parts assembled by other fastening means may be manufactured with closely matching contours for structural strength when assembled, or for sealing between the parts, with or without gaskets. By way of further example, thermal protection system tiles are shaped and glued to the outer shell of the space shuttle utilizing a heat tolerant adhesive. Matching the inner contour of the insulating tile to the shuttle shell permits the adhesive to yield a strong bond between the tile and the shuttle.
Measurement of contour matching between component parts has often utilized marking materials such as chalk, graphite, or carbon paper placed between the parts during test assembly. Alternately, soft materials may be applied to one part, the parts assembled, then separated, and the soft material checked for contact between the parts. Rocking of the component parts during testing with these methods may result in the apparent indication of a desired contour match when, in fact, one component part may bridge, or not match, the other component part. These methods also tend to yield qualitative rather than quantitative measurements of contour matching.
Accordingly there is an unmet need for contour matching systems and methods that can measure contour matching without susceptibility to rocking of the component parts during measurement and that yield quantitative measurements.